MWS Alumni : What's Next?

With no shortage of interest and enthusiasm, it's no wonder that the stories and successes of MWS alumni are fascinating! Whether traveling the world, founding businesses, teaching the next generation or leading the way in scientific research, the pursuits of our students continually inspire the MWS community.

I am forever thankful for my MWS experience. At MWS, I learned to balance academic success with creativity in thought. Whether it was knitting polar bears to fundraise for our class trip, or engineering and crafting a wooden boat to learn concepts in physics, I feel that MWS fostered in me a holistic approach to learning that has undoubtedly helped me get to where I am today.

— Josh Hayden, MWS '09

alumni PROFILES

Highlighted below are just a few of the many compelling stories of our graduates. If you have a great story to share, please get in touch!

Josh Hayden, MWS '09

Josh Hayden graduated from MWS' 8th grade in 2009 and went onto Northfield Mount Hermon School, where he built on the strengths of his MWS experience, earning many academic honors. Josh will graduate from Yale University in the spring of 2017 with a degree in Psychology-Neuroscience. Josh is a passionate volunteer, teaching health education to public high school students in New Haven, and working as a Spanish interpreter at the HAVEN Free Clinic. He has earned a membership in the Yale chapter of the Psi Chi International Honor Society in Psychology and will enter medical school in the fall of 2017.

Annie Trowbridge, MWS '07

Annie Trowbridge, a 2007 8th grade graduate, recently returned home from a year of travel through her Watson Fellowship. She was sure to invite her class teacher, Katie Schwerin, to the formal presentation she gave on her travels! During her year of studying the textiles and traditional dress of several cultures across the globe she kept a blog chronicling her travels, chock-full of wonderful anecdotes, reflections and photos. Congratulations, Annie, and a hearty “welcome home!”

Kira Munk Wells, MWS '99

Kira Munk Wells graduated from 8th grade at MWS in 1999 and earned a BA in Anthropology. Her work with international development in Lebanon and the refugee movement in Cairo inspired her masters degree in the study of war — specifically in terrorism and counterterrorism — to better understand the intricacies of conflict. Presently, Kira works as a political risk and intelligence analyst in the private sector, monitoring and analyzing current events and their impacts. In her free time, Kira is writing a children’s book and continues her involvement in humanitarian work by fundraising for an NGO that gets safe drinking water to refugee camps in Palestine.

Elizabeth Hamshaw, MWS '92

After graduating with the 8th grade class of 1992, Elizabeth went on to distinguish herself at Keene High School and Sweetbriar College. As the General Manager at The Cheshire Horse in Swanzey, she believes her Waldorf education contributes to her ability to problem solve, to see the whole picture, to adapt and to support others to grow. She’s willing to try new things and knows the value of working together to achieve goals. Elizabeth lives in Keene with her two sons who now attend MWS. She is an active school volunteer and member of the Alumni Committee.

stay connected

We are always excited to see and hear from our MWS graduates – so stay in touch! Let us know if you have new contact information or life updates you’d like to share. Email us at info@monadnockwaldorfschool.org or give us a call at (603) 357-4442.

Alumni Events

In 2016 we celebrated our 3rd annual MWS Alumni Potluck and we are continuing to plan alumni events throughout the year. If you are interested in hearing about upcoming events, please check out the different ways to stay connected. We’re looking forward to seeing you soon!